Off Pill - Increased Horniness Normal?

[monkey 014]

Is it normal to be more sensitive and horny after going off the pill? I was on Alysena 28 from November 2015 to February 2016, but decided to go off it due to the migraines I was getting on the non-hormone days; I was also breaking out pretty badly. I've read it could take some time for my period to come back, which I am prepared for, but I've noticed I'm more much more emotional (in a little bit of a sad funk right now) and HORNY than I ever was before going on the pill. Do these feelings calm down after a couple of months, or will I be like this every month?

I'm planning to try and find another birth control pill once I return home from Europe in May; perhaps an estrogen-free birth control pill, such as Micronor. I hope that I will be able to find the right birth control pill for me over the summer - I would prefer to take a birth control pill, because I've heard some horror stories from my friends regarding the IUD.

[Redskies]

Coming off the pill - or starting/stopping any hormonal method, really - can sometimes cause some side effects for a few cycles. It's most likely that any undesirable side-effects will sort themselves out within a few cycles, once your body adjusts to the change. It's not really possible to predict what'll happen for any one particular person, though, because everyone's body is different. If you experience anything really unpleasant or hard to deal with, it's a good idea to ask a healthcare provider about it; otherwise, waiting and seeing how your body settles down is the way to go, and then if you're still experiencing anything you're not okay with, asking a healthcare provider at that point.

In the meantime, doing what you can to give yourself things like enough sleep, enough hydration, nourishing food, and some self-care, often helps to take the edge off any mood issues.

With you having migraines on a combined pill, it sounds like a method without estrogen is indeed probably the way to go for you. Are you particularly wanting to use a pill, or might you be interested in any other methods, like the implant, for example? Happy to pass you any information on methods or talk anything through with you if you'd like that. Too, I don't know what "horror stories" your friends have about IUDs and whether that was their personal experiences or not; like any method, really, some people are really happy with theirs while other people don't get on with them at all. General, genuine horror stories about IUDs that still float around are nearly all several decades old by this point, and come from a time when a different kind of IUD was used than what's available today. Back then, there were some serious issues with those IUDs, while today's IUDs have excellent safety and effectiveness records.

[monkey 014]

Thank you RedSkies Would you happen to know the major brands of non-estrogen birth control pills, and if they have any side effects similar to estrogen birth control pills? Is there anything I should prepare to expect if I go on a non-estrogen pill?

[Heather]

Brands vary internationally, so without knowing what country you're in, that'd be an awfully long list. But since you're not your own prescribing physician (and couldn't be very soundly, even if you were a healthcare provider), brand names aren't actually useful to you anyway. To ask a healthcare provider about this type of pill, you just ask them to tell you about progestin-only oral contraceptives (PCPs) or "minipills."

There are mostly similar side effects, with the exception of more frequent spotting with minipills not usually as associated with combined oral contraceptives. The biggest difference, really, is about reduced health risks, especially for people from whom estrogen presents increased risks, like for smokers, people over 35, or people with some kinds of migraine. And if you're someone who was having a lot of side effects just because of, or mostly because of, estrogen in your pills, rather than progestin, you'll probably experience a big reduction in those.

Cosign with Redskies about IUDs, btw: there are people with horror stories with EVERY method. So, if an IUD is really what you're after, and the only thing keeping you from looking into or going for that is a couple anecdotes, I'd suggest you rethink that. You can certainly ask your healthcare provider to talk to you about the realities -- broadly, not just for a couple people you know -- of whatever they were reporting as bad or scary if you have concerns, to be sure those concerns are sound, not just based on a couple friends' experiences.